US4755888A - High speed contact printing system - Google Patents
High speed contact printing system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US4755888A US4755888A US06/867,924 US86792486A US4755888A US 4755888 A US4755888 A US 4755888A US 86792486 A US86792486 A US 86792486A US 4755888 A US4755888 A US 4755888A
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- magnetic tape
- slave
- tape
- printing
- master
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
- G11B5/86—Re-recording, i.e. transcribing information from one magnetisable record carrier on to one or more similar or dissimilar record carriers
- G11B5/865—Re-recording, i.e. transcribing information from one magnetisable record carrier on to one or more similar or dissimilar record carriers by contact "printing"
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a system for the high speed printing of a large number of magnetic tapes (so called recorded tapes) from a master magnetic tape on which signals are already recorded.
- the slave tape usually has a length or recording time several times longer than the recording time of a program which is previously recorded on the master tape and which is to be copied onto the slave tape, so that the printing operations are repeated a number of times to generate a large number of volumes or successive recorded tapes on the slave tape and, thereafter, such successive volumes or recorded tape are severed from each other at the joints between the repeatedly copies program.
- the number of volumes or recorded tapes that can be produced from the slave tape for each replacement of the slave tape has to be previously calculated and set and thereafter the printing operation is carried out so that a maximum number of recorded tapes can be obtained from the slave tape.
- the described procedure is very troublesome. Further if a calculation error occurs, a length of the slave tape longer than one recorded or copied tape is destroyed at a part near a tape end or the printing system commences a new printing operation when less than the required length of the slave tape remains so that operating time is wasted.
- a printing system comprises means for applying a magnetic field to a master magnetic tape and a slave magnetic tape having a length substantially longer than the master magnetic tape, both magnetic tapes being closely contacted with each other during the running of the tapes so as to print or copy signals recorded on the master magnetic tape onto the slave magnetic tape; means for detecting the rotational speed of a measurement roller which rotates according to a running speed of the slave or master magnetic tape; means for detecting the rotational speed of a supply reel for the slave magnetic tape; means for determining a thickness of the slave magnetic tape; and means for calculating the remaining amount of the tape wound on the supply reel for the slave magnetic tape on the basis of the detected tape thickness, the running speed of the tape and the rotational speed of the slave tape supply reel.
- FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical front view of a printing system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a control circuit applicable to the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is an operational flowchart of the control circuit shown in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the printing system according to the present invention
- numerals 1 and 2 denote slave tape supply and take up reels, which have diameters of approximately 27 centimeters (cm), respectively.
- numerals 3 and 4 denote master tape supply and take up reels, respectively, and numerals 5 and 6 denote drive tape supply and take up reels, respectively.
- These reels 3 through 6 each have a diameter of about 18 centimeters.
- a reel bed of each of reels 1 through 6 is directly engaged with a corresponding reel motor (not shown) (specifically an AC torque motor).
- the reel bed for each of reels 1 through 6 is provided with a parking brake for preventing tape looseness when the corresponding tape is stopped.
- the reel bed of each of reels 3 through 6 associated with the master tape MT and drive tape DT is provided with a rotation detector (not shown) for detecting a rotation direction and speed of the corresponding reel for use in effecting servo control of the rotation speed of the reel motor.
- Each rotation detector has a high resolution by producing several tens of pulses per rotation of the corresponding reel.
- the slave tape ST is a metal tape made of a magnetic material of Cobalt added ⁇ oxide iron (Hc ⁇ 650 Oe) and the master tape MT is a metal tape made of a magnetic material of pure iron (Hc ⁇ 2000 Oe) with a back coating.
- the drive tape DT is made of a base material with the back coating.
- Each of tapes ST, MT, and DT has a tape width of 12.65 milimeter.
- Each of tapes ST, MT, and DT is guided from its respective supply reel 1, 3, or 5 to the respective take up reel 2, 4, or 5, as shown in FIG. 1.
- Numerals 7 and 8 denote a transfer drum and contact chamber, respectively.
- the drum 7 is made of metal and uses a hydrostatic bearing in order to achieve its smooth rotation and movement of the associated tape with high accuracy.
- the drum 7 is separated from chamber 8 as denoted by a solid line in FIG. 1 and the three tapes are mutually separated.
- the drum 7 is pressed by means of a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) in the direction toward the chamber 8 so as to attain the position denoted by a dot-dash and dash-dash line in FIG. 1.
- the three tapes ST, MT, and DT are closely contacted with the drum 7 and with one another by means of compressed air under a pressure of 4 Kg/cm 2 blown out from the chamber 8.
- a bias head (not shown) is disposed within the chamber 8 and a required printing magnetic field is applied to the bias head so that the three magnetic patterns of video, audio and control signals are simultaneously printed on the slow tape.
- transfer or printing of the magnetic patterns from the master magnetic tape to the slave magnetic tape may be promoted by a source of heat (not shown) within chamber 8.
- the three mutually closely contacted tapes that is, master, slave, and drive tapes MT, ST, and DT are integrally driven by means of the reel motor (not shown) of the take up reel 6 for the drive tape DT.
- the speed of the reel motor for the drive tape DT is servo controlled and the reel motor of the supply reel 5 and reel motors of reels 1 through 4 of the master tape MT and slave tape ST are tension servo controlled.
- Numerals 11 through 15 denote tape press rollers which prevent the introduction of air between the tapes on the reels 2 through 6.
- the press rollers are installed on supply reels 3 and 5 as well as on take-up reels 4 and 6 due to the movements of tapes MT and DT in both directions between reels 3 and 4 and reels 5 and 6.
- Numerals 16 through 20 denote tension arms, which are located at positions denoted by dotted lines in FIG. 1 to detect tape tension and carry out tension servo control, as described later. It is noted that each tension arm 16 through 20 is locked at a respective position denoted by a solid line in FIG. 1 when the corresponding tape is mounted (or stopped) as described later.
- Numeral 21 denotes a Q or cue signal playback head, contacted with a rear surface of the master tape MT, for detecting each cue signal (for example, a sinusoidal wave signal having a frequency of 65 Hz and continuing for two seconds) signifying the the start and end of a program recorded on the master tape.
- the detected signal from head 21 is used to control the tape running system and to determine the type of recording system as described later ( ⁇ or VHS system).
- Numeral 22 denotes a measurement roller engaged by slave tape ST and disposed, in this embodiment, at the take up side of the slave tape and used for detecting the tape running speed and the printed length from the rotation speed and the number of rotations of the roller 22.
- each tape guide As shown in FIG. 1, a great number of tape guides are disposed along the running path of each tape in the preferred embodiment.
- these tape guides there are tape guides made of an alumina material having a high wear resistance characteristic and being disposed in the vicinity of the transfer drum 7 where the corresponding tape needs to be accurately guided so as to limit the position of a lower edge or upper edge of the tape (such tape guides are denoted by ⁇ or ⁇ ).
- a part of each such tape guide which is contacted with a surface of the tape is made of a titania material having a smooth surface and a good conductivity in order to conduct electrostatically generally electricity to ground.
- a guide roller with a ball bearing is used.
- Frequency or pulse generators 23 and 24 are attached to the measurement roller 22 and supply reel 1, respectively, to detect the rotational speeds Nk and Nc of the measurement roller 22 and supply reel 1, respectively.
- the frequency generators 23 and 24 have the same constructions as the rotation detectors attached to the respective reels 3 through 6.
- the printing system according to the present invention can print a magnetic tape with a signal recorded according to either the ⁇ or VHS system in the same way.
- the thickness determining means uses the magnetic head 21 to detect a start Q signal and end Q signal on the master tape MT at the time of a first printing operation and, from the number of pulses generated by frequency generator 23 between such detected Q signals, the length or duration L o of a program recorded on the master tape MT can be measured. Then a Central Processing Unit (CPU) of a microcomputer determines the tape thickness from the measured program length.
- CPU Central Processing Unit
- such tape is to have a first thickness characteristic of a tape cassette used in the ⁇ system and which is generally referred to as an L500 tape cassette, or having a length shorter than the tape in the L500 cassette.
- a program recorded on the master tape MT is determined to have a duration or length from two hours to three hours between the Q or cue signals described above at the time of the first printing, the CPU determines that a tape having a second thickness (L750 tape) is to be used as the slave tape.
- the CPU determines that a tape having a third thickness (L830 tape) is to be used as the slave tape ST.
- the thickness of the slave tape ST to be used can automatically be determined on the basis of the length of the program recorded on the master tape, i.e., on the basis of the time interval between the start Q signal and end Q signal of the recorded program.
- Table 1 shows the various thicknesses of the magnetic tape used in cassettes for a video tape recorder (VTR) of the ⁇ system.
- Table 2 shows the thicknesses of the magnetic tape used in cassettes for a VTR of the VHS system.
- the start Q signal and end Q signal are recorded on the master tape MT.
- the start Q signal recorded on the master tape according to the ⁇ system is played back for 24 seconds when reproducing it in the ⁇ II mode, that is, at the tape speed of 20 mm/s.
- the start Q signal recorded on the master tape according to the VHS system is played back for 24 seconds when reproducing it in the standard mode, that is at the tape speed of 32 mm/s.
- the recorded length of the start Q signal on the tape is different for the ⁇ system or the VHS system.
- the CPU can automatically determine which of the systems was used for the master tape MT. If rising and falling edges of the start Q signal are detected by means of the playback head 21 and the number of pulses generated from the frequency generator 23 attached to measurement roller 22 are counted in the interval between the detected rising and falling edges of the start Q signal, the recording system used for making the master tape MT ( ⁇ system or VHS system) can be determined.
- FIG. 2 shows an example of a control circuit applicable to the present invention.
- a CPU 25 of a microcomputer receives the signals (pulse waveforms) from the above-described frequency generators 23 and 24, the Q signals from the playback head 21, and so on, and processes these signals to provide output signals to a display unit 26 and to a printing stop unit 27.
- the master tape MT and the slave tape ST having the requisite thickness determined according to the length of a program recorded After the operator installs in the printing system shown on FIG. 1 the master tape MT and the slave tape ST having the requisite thickness determined according to the length of a program recorded, the master tape MT on the printing operation, is started.
- the start Q signal is reproduced from the master tape MT by playback head 21 and a head part or initiation of the program recorded on the master tape MT is detected.
- step P 1 if it is determined in step P 1 that the printing on the slave tape ST is being effected for the first time, the routine goes to a step P10 in which the CPU 25 detects the start Q signal, starts counting of the number of pulses derived from the frequency generator 23, and stops the counting in response to the end of printing indicated by the presence of the end Q signal.
- a length or duration Lo of time between the start Q signal and end Q signal that is, the record time of the program on master tape MT, is determined from the counted number of pulses and is then stored in a register of the CPU 25.
- the system is removed from the printing mode in response to the detection of the end Q signal, i.e., the closely contacted state of the three tapes is released by movement of drum 7 away from contact chamber 8, the slave tape ST is stopped and the master and drive tapes MT, DT are rewound at a high speed in a step P3 via steps P1 and P2.
- the printing system Upon completion of the rewinding operation, the printing system is again changed over to the print mode to enter the second printing operation in which the three tapes MT, ST, DT are transferred from their supply reels to their take-up reels with the three tapes being closely contacted with each other.
- the CPU 25 After the servo control of the speed of the three tapes is started, the CPU 25 counts the number of pulses derived from the frequency generators 23 and 24, and derives therefrom the rotational periods T R and Tc of roller 22 and supply reel 1, respectively, in a step P4. Then, in a step P5, CPU 25 calculates the length L of the tape remaining on the supply reel for the slave tape. That calculation by the CPU 25 is carried out in the following way.
- Dc . . . is the outer diameter of the remaining slave tape ST wound on supply reel 1
- Dk . . . is the diameter of the measurement roller 22
- Tc . . . is the rotation period of the supply reel 1 carrying slave tape ST
- Tk . . . is the rotation period of the measurement roller 22
- Nc . . . is the rotational speed of the supply reel 1 for the slave tape ST
- Nk . . . is the rotational speed of the measurement roller 22
- Vt . . . is the linear or transfer speed of the slave tape ST
- Dr . . . is the minimum diameter of the wound slave tape and corresponds to the hub diameter of the supply reel 1 for the slave tape.
- the tape speed Vt is expressed as follows:
- Symbol t used in the calculation of the length L denotes the thickness of the slave tape ST.
- the thickness t is determined to be the first thickness, second thickness, third thickness, or the like on the basis of the duration of the program (that is, the time interval from the start Q signal detection to the end Q signal detection) at the time of the first printing and is stored previously in the register of the CPU 25.
- the maximum value of the thickness is selected for use in the foregoing calculation so that a minimum remaining amount or length of the tape is estimated and an accurate limit of use can be expected.
- step P6 the routine goes to step P6 in which the CPU 25 calculates the ratio of L/Lo and sends to display unit 26 a signal indicating how many volumes of the program recorded on master tape MT can be printed on the remaining length of the slave tape ST.
- a step P7 the CPU 25 calculates a subtraction such as L-Lo and compares the result of this subtraction L-Lo with zero. If (L-Lo) is ⁇ 0 is determined to be (YES) in step P7, the routine goes to step P 11 in which the printing operation is stopped in response to a stop command from the CPU 25. If on the other hand, as is usual in the second printing operation, the comparison result in the step P 7 is usually L-Lo ⁇ 0 (NO), the routine goes to step P8.
- a subtraction such as L-Lo and compares the result of this subtraction L-Lo with zero. If (L-Lo) is ⁇ 0 is determined to be (YES) in step P7, the routine goes to step P 11 in which the printing operation is stopped in response to a stop command from the CPU 25. If on the other hand, as is usual in the second printing operation, the comparison result in the step P 7 is usually L-Lo ⁇ 0 (NO), the routine goes to step P8.
- step P8 the CPU 25 determines whether the subtraction of 2LO from L is greater or less than zero. If (L-2LO) ⁇ 0 (in the second printing operation the comparison result is usually L-2Lo>0) is determined in the step P8, the routine goes to the step P10 in which the second printing is ended, that is, the master and drive tapes MT, DT are rewound and thereafter the routine returns to step P 1 and the printing system enters the third printing operation.
- step P8 the routine goes to step P9 in which the CPU 25 determines that the current printing operation is the next to last printing (N-1) before the last printing (N times) and correspondingly informs the display unit 26 in which the above-described information is displayed.
- the printing system Upon the completion of (N-1) printing operations, the printing system enters the Nth printing operation and carries out the printing of the slave tape ST for the last time.
- the CPU 25 determines in the step P7 that L-Lo ⁇ 0 is established in the last printing operation and stores the result in step P7 and the routine goes to step P11 in which the CPU 25 issues a printing end command (copy tape end) and the printing system stops. Consequently, printing of one reel of the slave tape ST has been completed.
- the remaining amount of tape L may be measured at the time of the second printing operation, and then the ratio of L/Lo may be calculated to determine how many repetitions of the program recorded on the master tape MT can be printed on the remaining length L of the slave tape.
- the sequential printing operations may be carried out, and the printing system may be stopped when the predetermined number of the printing operations has been completed.
- the roller 22 may be installed for engagement with the master tape MT, for example, as indicated in dot-dash lines at (22) on FIG. 1.
- the remaining amount of the slave tape ST on the supply reel therefor is calculated on the basis of information concerning the thickness of the slave tape as well as the rotational speed Nk of the measurement roller 22 and the rotational speed Nc of the supply reel 1 on which the slave tape ST is wound. Therefore, the calculated value is very accurate so that accurate detection of the last possible complete printing operation can be achieved.
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Abstract
Description
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Thickness Time (βII) Kind (μ) ______________________________________ Up to L500 or less 19.2 First 2 hours through Thickness 20.7 2 hours to L750 13.8 Second 3 hours through Thickness 15.3 3 hours L850 12.3 Third or more through Thickness 13.5 ______________________________________
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Time (Standard) Kind Thickness (μ) ______________________________________ Up to T120 18.0 through 21.0 Fourth 2hours Thickness 2 hours to T160 15.6 Fifth 3 hours Thickness ______________________________________
Vt=πDk.Nk=πDk/Tk
Vt=πDc.Nc=πDc/Tc,
Claims (12)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US06/867,924 US4755888A (en) | 1986-05-29 | 1986-05-29 | High speed contact printing system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US06/867,924 US4755888A (en) | 1986-05-29 | 1986-05-29 | High speed contact printing system |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US4755888A true US4755888A (en) | 1988-07-05 |
Family
ID=25350726
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US06/867,924 Expired - Lifetime US4755888A (en) | 1986-05-29 | 1986-05-29 | High speed contact printing system |
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Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4814899A (en) * | 1987-09-21 | 1989-03-21 | Otari Electric Company, Ltd. | Tape transporting device |
US4979691A (en) * | 1988-10-22 | 1990-12-25 | Sony Corporation | Contact printer |
US5136526A (en) * | 1987-09-03 | 1992-08-04 | Reinhold Baur | Determination of the thickness of a magnetic tape |
US5230818A (en) * | 1991-12-20 | 1993-07-27 | Eastman Kodak Company | Coating compositions for master media for anhysteretic recording |
WO1994016441A1 (en) * | 1993-01-05 | 1994-07-21 | Yuen Henry C | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US6091884A (en) * | 1991-08-19 | 2000-07-18 | Index Systems, Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US6487362B1 (en) | 1991-08-19 | 2002-11-26 | Index Systems, Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4531166A (en) * | 1981-03-16 | 1985-07-23 | Storage Technology Corporation | Magnetic tape drive with adaptive servo |
-
1986
- 1986-05-29 US US06/867,924 patent/US4755888A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4531166A (en) * | 1981-03-16 | 1985-07-23 | Storage Technology Corporation | Magnetic tape drive with adaptive servo |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5136526A (en) * | 1987-09-03 | 1992-08-04 | Reinhold Baur | Determination of the thickness of a magnetic tape |
US4814899A (en) * | 1987-09-21 | 1989-03-21 | Otari Electric Company, Ltd. | Tape transporting device |
US4979691A (en) * | 1988-10-22 | 1990-12-25 | Sony Corporation | Contact printer |
US6091884A (en) * | 1991-08-19 | 2000-07-18 | Index Systems, Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US6487362B1 (en) | 1991-08-19 | 2002-11-26 | Index Systems, Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US20030190138A1 (en) * | 1991-08-19 | 2003-10-09 | Index Systems, Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US6701060B2 (en) | 1991-08-19 | 2004-03-02 | Index System, Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US7499628B2 (en) * | 1991-08-19 | 2009-03-03 | Index Systems Inc. | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
US5230818A (en) * | 1991-12-20 | 1993-07-27 | Eastman Kodak Company | Coating compositions for master media for anhysteretic recording |
US6258471B1 (en) | 1991-12-20 | 2001-07-10 | Eastman Kodak Company | Master media for anhysteretic recording |
WO1994016441A1 (en) * | 1993-01-05 | 1994-07-21 | Yuen Henry C | Enhancing operations of video tape cassette players |
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Owner name: SONY CORPORATION 7-35 KITASHINAGAWA-6, SHINAGAWA-K Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:HORI, TAKESHI;NAGANUMA, TOORU;HIGANO, YOSHIHARU;REEL/FRAME:004559/0512 Effective date: 19860526 Owner name: SONY CORPORATION,JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:HORI, TAKESHI;NAGANUMA, TOORU;HIGANO, YOSHIHARU;REEL/FRAME:004559/0512 Effective date: 19860526 |
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